25th National Day of Dignity - Venezuela

On February 4, 1992, a civil-military rebellion took place in Venezuela led by lieutenant Hugo Chavez against the neoliberal government of Carlos Andres Perez.

Although the rebellion was crushed it gave rise to a movement which allowed the birth of a real democratic and participatory process in benefit of the great majority of the population.

The 25th Anniversary of the occasion was commemorated at the Embassy of Venezuela in South Africa hosted by Ambassador Mairin Moreno Mérida. Venezuela Inside, a commemorative magazine was also issued by the Embassy.

HISTORY

25 years ago a group of soldiers, led by Lt. Col. Army Hugo Chavez, leader of the Revolutionary Bolivarian Movement 200, he deployed the Ezequiel Zamora Operation to rescue the dignity of the country against the impoverishing measures implemented under President Carlos Andrés Pérez.

Along with Hugo Chavez, other military led the movement that February 4:Lieutenant Colonel Francisco Arias Cárdenas in Zulia state; Lt. Col. Yoel Acosta Chirinos; in charge of Generalissimo Francisco de Miranda Air Base in La Carlota; Jesus Ortiz Contreras in front of the infantry batallion "Genaro Vásquez", and Lieutenant Colonel Jesús Urdaneta Hernández. The operations were commanded from the Military History Museum in Caracas, in order to take the Miraflores Palace. In Maracaibo, Maracay and Valenciasignificant progress was made, and there was an important deployment in Aragua by Parachute Battalion "José Leonardo Chirino".

For several hours actions in Caracas, Maracaibo and Aragua took place, but not fully met the objectives, there was no choice but to stop the mission and at the end of the morning, Lt. Col. Chavez assumed responsibility. The country then witnessed a message that struck the collective imagination as a challenge for the future, giving face and words to unsatisfied people with the direction that led the country, immersed in corruption, committed to multinational oil companies, a illegally contracted debt, a loss ofnational sovereignty and the moral decay of their representatives.

Firm in his words and actions, Commander Hugo Chavez was always consistent with the ideas that led the uprising. The movement of February 4, 1992 failed to meet its objectives but that day, the passage of a Venezuela full of despair to one with present and bright future began, a reborn rebellion and love for the country, and triggered the revolutionary historical cycle currently taking place in Venezuela: the struggle of February 4 continues reaffirmed every day.